


Sleepless

by greenJeanKirstein



Category: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Fluff, Gansey has trouble falling asleep, Gen, Holding Hands, Implied Relationships, Kissing, M/M, Ronan helps, Sleep Deprivation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-14
Updated: 2016-05-14
Packaged: 2018-06-08 06:19:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6842332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greenJeanKirstein/pseuds/greenJeanKirstein
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Richard Gansey can't sleep. He's tried everything - warm milk, excercising and tiring himself out, going to bed early - but nothing works. When Ronan finds him up in the middle of the night, he decides to take the matters into his own hands.</p><p>--</p><p>"You need to sleep, Gansey," Ronan mumbled, letting Gansey lean against his shoulder. Gansey rolled his eyes; Ronan hadn't said anything that was new to him or that he hadn't heard before. He knew he needed sleep, he wanted to sleep. He just couldn't.</p><p>"I know, Ronan."</p><p>Ronan huffed, stroking Gansey's hair and brushing the strands back from his face. "So sleep." </p><p>Gansey looked down, shaking his head, "I can't..."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sleepless

**Author's Note:**

  * For [fox-meets-wolf (bluebear)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluebear/gifts).



> This little fanfic is a present for the amazing f0x-meets-w0lf. I hope you enjoy it!

There were nights Gansey slept like a log, dreaming of nothing but the abyss of darkness. Then there were nights when no amount of sleeping pills or excercise could get Gansey to fall into the dreamworld. That night was one of those, his mind keeping him awake no matter how much his body craved sleep. He had tried excercising and had jogged around the block twice in the evening, but it hadn't worked. Warm milk hadn't worked either and had instead burnt his tongue.

 

This was why Gansey was sitting in the middle of the living room, his glasses neatly on his nose, glueing together a small paper library, doing his best to keep glue from getting everywhere. He didn't know who had worked on the little paper model of Henrietta, but the unknown person had left little globs of glue everywhere around Aglionby. Gansey glued his library to place and reached for a little rag, cleaning up the glue that had dropped onto the floor. Even though it wasn't a huge thing, Gansey liked when his things were all nice and in order.

 

At least the things that involved his paper Henrietta and his thoughts about Welsh kings were in order.

 

He worked and cut paper and folded the paper into little boxes, then placed said boxes together to look like buildings that would go on and on and on, until Gansey had Henrietta in his hand, until he could be the king of Henrietta during the day as well as night. He didn't mind only being the king of that Henrietta that lay on his bedroom floor - it was the thought that mattered, not the real loyalities. Kavinsky could rule the streets of nocturnal Henrietta; Gansey had his own Henrietta that nobody could take of him.

 

"Gansey," Ronan said, standing in the doorway, arms crossed, expression of a warrior on his face, ready to fight Gansey to get his way. When Gansey didn't turn around, Ronan scoffed and walked to his friend, putting a hand onto Gansey's shoulder.

 

"Gansey," He repeated himself, this time with a voice that could belong to a father who was trying to get his son's attention. Gansey's head snapped up and he looked at Ronan, eyes wide, like he had just realised he wasn't alone in the room.

 

When Gansey spoke, his voice was soft and quiet. "Did I wake you?" He asked, looking from Ronan's eyes to his hand, briefly eyeing the scars that criss-crossed Ronan's wrist, gazing at the watch around Ronan's hand then. He could make out that it was nearly two in the morning.

 

Ronan shrugged like being woken up wasn't a big deal.

 

"Don't worry about it." He ruffled Gansey's hair and studied the parts of miniature Henrietta that Gansey had built up or repaired. "Far worse things have woken me up."

 

With a little sigh, Gansey leaned closer to kiss one of the scars, then half nuzzled his face into Ronan's palm. "I'm still sorry for waking you." He closed his eyes and enjoyed the warmth of Ronan's hand for a while, smiling when Ronan answered his friendly gestures by caressing Gansey's cheek.

 

They pulled away and Ronan sat on the edge of Gansey's bed, watching his friend finish building a cluster of stores. Gansey glued the edges of the paper together and then glued the little stores to their places. He reached for another piece of paper, but Ronan slid the paper away from his reach with a foot.

 

"Come 'ere," he said, gesturing for Gansey to sit down next to him and Gansey pouted, but rose up and went to sit next to Ronan. Ronan wrapped his arm around Gansey's waist and pulled him close, pressing a kiss against his temple.

 

"You need to sleep, Gansey," he mumbled, letting Gansey lean against his shoulder. Gansey rolled his eyes; Ronan hadn't said anything that was new to him or that he hadn't heard before. He knew he needed sleep, he wanted to sleep. He just couldn't.

 

"I know, Ronan."

 

Ronan huffed, stroking Gansey's hair and brushing the strands back from his face. "So sleep."

 

Gansey looked down, shaking his head, "I can't..." He sighed, hiding his face in his hands. "I tried everything, Ronan, milk, running around, not sleeping during the day. Nothing works."

 

Ronan was quiet for a while, just watching Gansey and letting him sulk. Then he got up and offered his hand for Gansey to help him up. "Come sleep with me."

 

"Sleep with you?" Gansey widened his eyes and chuckled drily. He could not see how sex could solve his problems, but he supposed that it was what Ronan wanted. "Listen, man, if you want to have sex, maybe try again when I'm not sleep deprived?"

 

It was Ronan's turn to laugh and his laugh riveted through the whole room, crashing against the walls like waves and overflowing the floors. He had a hard time stopping once he had truly started laughing, and even Gansey smiled slightly, loving how happy and alive Ronan sounded when he laughed.

 

"Richard Gansey, you utter idiot, I did not even imply that we'd have sex," Ronan said when he finally calmed down. He was still smiling though and he waved his hand in front of Gansey's face. Gansey thought for a second, then took the hand and let Ronan pull him up. He didn't let go of Ronan's hand as they walked to Ronan's room and Ronan didn't let go of Gansey's hand either.

 

Gansey got onto Ronan's bed and climbed under the blanket, scooting over to make room for Ronan. Ronan got into bed as well and carefully took Gansey's glasses from him, put them onto the end table, wrapped his arm around Gansey's shoulder and pulled him closer. Gansey gently placed his head onto Ronan's chest and closed his eyes, hoping that he would fall asleep quicker.

 

After thirty minutes Gansey was still up, not feeling sleepy no matter how calming Ronan's deep breaths were. He opened his eyes and when his eyes got used to the darkness, watched how what he thought was his friend's chest rose and fell as he inhaled and exhaled. Gansey touched Ronan's side, humming slightly at how warm and _nice_ Ronan's body felt against him, but no matter how nice it was to have someone near him, holding him and offering him comfort, Gansey could not fall asleep.

 

"Still can't sleep?" Ronan's voice was quiet, however, it still managed to scare Gansey a bit. Gansey flinched, closing his eyes for a second, "Yeah... Sorry for waking you again,"

 

Ronan sighed, pulling Gansey closer and kissing his forehead. "It's alright, Gansey."

 

He held Gansey and they were in the dark and quiet again. A few minutes passed before Gansey spoke up, "Hey, Ronan."

 

"Hmm?"

 

"Could you tell me a story?" Gansey moved his body a bit towards the headboard so that his ear was closer to Ronan's mouth, hoping that Ronan would tell him a nice story.

 

Ronan smirked, finding it cute how Gansey thought a story would help him to fall asleep. He didn't argue it though, instead agreed to tell Gansey a bedtime story. "What kind of story?"

 

"I don't know." Gansey shrugged, "Any kind. Please?"

 

"Alright, alright." Ronan thought for a while, not sure which story to tell Gansey. He wanted the story to be magical enough to lure Gansey's thoughts in, yet calm enough to lull Gansey to sleep. It didn't take him long to decide though and he turned onto his side, facing Gansey.

 

"Close your eyes first, yeah?" Ronan said and Gansey nodded, closing his eyes right away. Without his glasses and in the early hours of morning, he looked his age or even younger than he was. Ronan stroked his hair and began telling him a story.

 

"Once upon a time there lived three kings," He started and then had to stop as Gansey cut into his storytelling.

 

"Were they Welsh kings?"

 

"Mhm, they were. Each of them ruled over a county. Ithel ruled a county in the northern parts of Wales, Neirin had the coast under his rule and Aodhan ruled the moors." Ronan tried to combine the worlds he had seen in his dreams into the description of the story, but before he could go on, Gansey interrupted him again.

 

"Aodhan's an Irish name."

 

Ronan sighed and looked at Gansey, gently flicking a finger against his ear. "Who's telling the story, me or you?"

 

"You..." Gansey mumbled, then nuzzled closer, continuing to listen to Ronan's tale.

 

"Ithel's stronghold was up in the cold snowy mountains and it was really hard to get there, because around the mountains grew a very thick forest. If one could even get past the forest, the plain that covered the land between the stronghold and the forest was always full of snow and cold winds blew hard enough to steal a person's soul when they breathed out too hard. Yet his fellow rulers could easily travel up to the mountains.

 

"Neirin's fortress stood on a cliff that overlooked the beautiful blue sea. Only his ships could sail to and fro the cove that was near the cliff and if anyone else tried to approach the land, they were greeted with canons and muskets and swords. Even if someone could reach the beach with a small boat in the middle of the night, they still had to trek up the slippery coastline to the cliff. Still, he often had the other kings over as guests.

 

Aodhan's castle was hidden deep in the moors, that swallowed everyone who would dare to stray from the path. The fog covered the path and those, who did not know where to step were lost forever. The king's men bred and raised special horses that would almost sense the hags in the bog and would steer clear of any bog pools."

 

Ronan continued telling Gansey the tale of the three kings who were united through a dark magic ritual and who found that together they were stronger than individually. About halfway through the story Gansey's breathing evened and he put a hand under his cheek. Ronan was about to finish the story when Gansey snored and Ronan let out a snort, shaking his head. Of course, Gansey had fallen asleep. The story had worked.

 

He tugged the blanket more up to cover them both and put an arm over Gansey. Ronan closed his eyes and focused on Gansey's breathing, dozing off in a few minutes. In his half hazy thoughts, he knew that Gansey would want him to retell the second half of the story, but if it meant that he could get Gansey to sleep, Ronan would gladly retell the story of the three Welsh kings.

**Author's Note:**

> [You can find me here](http://www.vicvandal.tumblr.com) [and the amazing f0x-meets-w0lf here](http://www.f0x-meets-w0lf.tumblr.com)


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